Arguably the best sitcom ever, Seinfeld is coming to DVD later this year and TVShowsOnDVD.com has the skinny on the surveys that they're putting out there to test the waters for box sets, cover art, and all sorts of extras. Bobbleheads, chinese bowls, and scripts are some of the bonus items on tap, and all in all it seems that the choices border on esoteric or just plain odd. A plastic figure or perhaps "nothing" would make a little more sense.

--AP

Bionicle Vahki in USA, Canada

Apparently LEGO direct is selling the new Bionicle Vahki figures, meaning they should be in stores any day now. These new characters are said to be the law enforcement at Metru Nui, and look a little like crabs. Keep your eyes peeled for these.

--AP

Energon Returns (in repeats) To Cartoon Network, more Robot Masters

First the bad news: while Energon is returning to Cartoon Network, it'll be at 6:30 AM Eastern, and it'll be repeats. Boo. Hiss.

Meanwhile, some spiffy pictures and descriptions of the first wave of Robot Masters at FanToFan. It shows some great head shots of the robots, proving that these are, in fact, quite cool.

--AP

And in other news...

Homestar Runner added a new Cheat Commandos short, be sure to check it out and buy all their playsets and toys. There's a new puppet singing session with They Might Be Giants as well.

We've also found that we will be losing use of our digital camera. If you have one laying around you don't need, we would like to know so we can continue to provide pictures, hopefully more than previously.

--AP

A Sampling of Our Fresh MenuJune 2 2004

Review: Star Wars Yoda (Original Trilogy Collection)

Today at Galactic Hunter we have the first review on the Star Wars Collecting Web scene, as far as we can tell, of the newest Star Wars line. Yoda breaks from Saga tradition by not having an elaborate descriptive name, but he comes from his appearance in The Empire Strikes Back and has a ton of articulation, a cane, and a little pack to be hauled around in. You have to pop him apart to do it, and it's easy. Find out how, and see the great pictures, in today's review.

--AP

Godzilla: Final Wars Features Talent from Metal Gear Solid

Readers at GameSpot were in for a surprise, as the site made mention of the involvement of MGS team members in the supposed final Godzilla picture. Also of note, the article makes speculation of direct-to-video sequels, which, while not unheard of, would certainly be nice.

Apparently a number of sets are rumored to be coming, but a set that looks like it could be a Universe Devastator, a recolor of the six construction vehicles released in Japan, has surfaced that seems like a candidate for domestic release. Also shown at the 2005boards, a new Red Alert repaint from the Armada mold.

Wal-Mart appears to be clearing out their exclusives from the Spring, and prices vary widely. We've seen Sunstorm from $10-$15, the Spychangers Ultra Magnus and Optimus Prime for $3, Universe Ruination for about $20, as well as the Energon Mini-Cons six packs and Universe CD-ROM exclusives for $7. Good times.

Don't forget to check out The Onion AV Club, as there's new stuff up there. As of this report, there are no items on the "news" section.

--AP

New Denver ScrambleJune 3 2004

Buy-One-Get-One on Clearance Games at Toys "R" Us

Toys "R" Us stores are apparently blowing out some clearance game software for Xbox, Dreamcast, GameBoy, Playstation 2, Nintendo64, and the original Playstation. Some older titles that previously were not on the store shelves were at the store we checked, so it might be worth pouring through the racks to see what all is out there.

--AP

New Space Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Four new turtles are hitting Target stores this week, in new, uniquely sculpted space outfits. Each figure has articulated fingers and newly redesigned packaging with revised placement of the TMNT logo and in Michaelangelo's case, a particuarly striking design. For his package, he's stepping over part of the packaging, giving him a very striking, "burst out of the cardback" appearance that you just don't see much.

--AP

News on the Complete Lateline on DVD

A blurb over at TVShowsOnDVD.com has a story on the Al Franken sitcom that aired very briefly a few years ago. All 19 episodes are coming to the digitial video disc format in August and Amazon will have it for just above $33.

--AP

More (and New) TransFormers Energon to air on Cartoon Network

The cats at Seibertron have news on upcoming new episodes of Energon that will air startin in July, five days a week, and at 6:30 AM Eastern time. Episodes 15 through 20 were listed and cover the first appearance of Shockblast.

Following our Yoda review, today at Galactic Hunter we look at another Original Trilogy Collection release. R2-D2 makes another appearance, this time designed from his time on Dagobah during The Empire Strikes Back. He's capable of playing several sound effects, and is made from parts from the FX R2-D2 (reused for Attack of the Clones) and parts from R2-Q5. As the saying goes, he may not sound like much but he's got it where it counts. If you're wondering why on Earth you need another R2-D2, and it turns out that you really do, be sure to read the scoop in today's review.

--AP

NES Edition GameBoy Advance SP, Games Found in Stores

We went to a number of shops today and found that some Target stores and a few Electronics Boutique shops put out the specially designed NES Edition GameBoy Advance SP early, as well as most or all of the games. Most stores listed these items as not being available until next Tuesday.

The unit seems to be $99.99 everywhere, with the games $19.99 each. Available now are: Pac-Man, Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Xevious, Donkey Kong, Ice Climber, Excite Bike, and Bomberman. There are some limited multiplayer functions, of course, and this requires a second GameBoy Advance to take advantage. If you don't have a GBA SP, now's a good time to buy your first, or second.

--AP

New Harry Potter Today

Today, the third movie in the series comes out. So get ye to the theater and catch Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban!

--AP

And in other news...

A particularly amusing story. A man accused of murder and sitting in prison was freed... because of some cut footage from the HBO series, Curb Your Enthusiasm. Sound ridiculous? Read the full story.

--AP, thanks to Nopey by way of SC

A Hero Won't RiseJune 5 2004

New Harry Potter: Good

The new Harry Potter film was not a radical departure from the previous two, but moved into a far more interesting and less special (well, in terms of effects) cinematic vision. It's hard not to like, and as such you should go see it.

Trailers on our print included the CG The Polar Express as well as yet another teeny-bopper girl-that-finds-royalty picture and what's sure to be one of the year's worst, Garfield.

--AP

NES Edition GameBoy Advance SP, Games Found in (more) Stores

The issue of a street date on these games seems to be in question as more stores put them out today. GameStop reportedly put everything out, while we saw GameBoy NES SPs at Best Buy while Toys "R" Us only put the games out. There may be sales on these in this week's newspaper ads, and if there are, we'll let you know.

--AP

Final Season of Mr. Show Sept. 21

Mark your calendars-- the final season of Mr. Show, that would be season 4, comes to DVD on September 21. For the record, that's the same day Star Wars comes out, so start saving your money now. See the box art and more at TVShowsOnDVD.com.

--AP

I Sing-A The Blues!June 6 2004

Modern Masters of the Universe to DVD... in Germany

Super site He-Man.org says the new cartoon is coming to DVD... in Germany in Fall of 2004. With the old series being available in Europe as well, this certainly creates a Masters gap.

--AP

New Energon Supposedly Shipping

While we have yet to see them, word on the street is Shockblast and Cliffjumper are hitting the USA. Check your local Wal-Marts as that's apparently where they're hitting first.

--AP

And in other news...

Next week, our features will simply be TBA. We've been busy with things and as such don't know what will go up when, so be back soon to see what all we have.

At Galactic Hunter, aside from Orignal Trilogy Collection features (which I'm told will be posted), we have Q&A and reviews of the OTC Dagobah Luke and Spirit Obi-Wan ready to go.

Don't forget-- FOX has a new episode of Arrested Development on this evening, and it'll be the last new show before the new season starts. Repeats will continue through the summer, though, so if you missed it you can check out the surprisingly smart and funny network sitcom.

Looks like Harry Potter has managed to barely edge out Spider-Man for the biggest opening day ever. Final numbers are coming next week, but it looks like the wizard kids beat out America's favorite webslinger by about $1.4 million, coming in at $40.8 million.

Also, Garfield comes to theaters this week. This film will not be breaking box office records.

This week's highlights include the "Hasbro Sample," a counterpoint to the customizing community, and yes, what to expect from the Original Trilogy Collection in terms of pricing and the future! Read on, it's good for you, like broccoli only not as iffy.

--AP

Classic NES T-Shirt and Sales

We did a lot of footwork today, and we did find that some stores are doing some really neat things with the Classic NES edition GameBoy Advance SP in terms of sales and promotions.

Surprisingly, Circuit City came out on top here. They have the system for $89.99, which is $10 less than everybody else. Super Mario Bros., Donkey Kong, and Pac-Man are each on sale for a mere $14.99 ($5 off) and as an added bonus, you get a free T-Shirt when you buy any of them. It's only available in a large and not all Circuit City stores have their games out yet, but all seem to have the systems available.

The only other store we found to be offering any sort of cash discount was Best Buy, and they've had their games out since last week. Super Mario Bros. and Donkey Kong are on sale for $17.99 each, and that seems to be it.

The big question is, Will there be more? The answer... is unknown. Nintendo is running a poll, and the following are listed as in a poll inside Nintendo Power vol. 181 (Four Swords Adventures cover) asking which are your favorites:

What's notable is that on the Arcade/Puzzle side, nearly all of those games are available in the second batch of Famicom Minis released just the other month. Mario Bros., Baloon Fight, Dig Dug, Dr. Mario, Wrecking Crew, and Ghosts 'n' Goblins are all available in Japanese today via eBay or your favorite importer.

--AP

Harry Potter does $92 Million, Shrek tops $300 Million

The winner in this weekend's box office race was Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, a truly wonderful installment in the series and easily the best film yet. It made $92 million (so say the projections) which is the top June opening of all time, topping The Hulk by over $30 million. (Information swiped from Box Office Mojo.)

Shrek 2 pulled in another estimated $37 million, bringing it to $313 million and on its way to be the highest grossing computer generated movie of all time. Finding Nemo made $339 million in the theaters domestically.

--AP

And in other news...

Yet another installment in ".stereotype." was posted, and you can see an art film in it.

--AP

Take A Pow-DerrrrJune 8 2004

Godzilla 2000 DVD now $5.50

Wal-Marts around town restocked their $5.50 bins, and the fantastic man-in-suit movie with the most awesome dub is now down to $5.50.

--AP

Harry Potter VHS now $5

Wal-Marts also dropped Chamber of Secrets and Sorceror's Stone on VHS to an even five dollars each. Not to be outdone-- well, OK, to be outdone-- there's Best Buy, who now has a bundle with both on DVD (full screen) for $19.99.

--AP

TransFormers Cybertron Confirmed

With rumors all over the place, Hasbro posted a press release confirming that they are, indeed, working on the next line of these toys and it's called TransFormers Cybertron as rumored. And as we speculated earlier, it looks like these may be out by year's end.

--AP

Target Clearancing Games

With selection varying from store to store, it might be a good time to check Target for clearance video games. Tonight, we spotted Warioware Mega Microgame$ for $14.98, and last weekend we saw Boktai for $13. Good prices, surely.

--AP

And in other news...

Homestar Runner's Store added pics of the second series of figures, which look much better than the first batch. This series includes the Poopsmith, Homsar, Strong Bad (revised), and Homestar running. The set is a surprisingly low $15. Also, the HomestarRunner.com site added a new puppet jam feature.

Today at Galactic Hunter we look at another Original Trilogy Collection release, Luke Skywalker as he appeared in The Empire Strikes Back while training on Dagobah. He can do a headstand and carry around Yoda, which is twice as much as I'd expect a figure to do. Sure it looks neat, but it's a great little toy too. You can see and read more about it in today's review.

--AP

The next Batman Movie's Batmobile Revealed

The next Batmobile has been revealed, and boy does it suck. You can see it at TFW2005, where pictures from the ongoing licensing show are hosted. The item is, to say the least, a radical departure.

--AP

New Pee-Wee's Playhosue Press Release

TVShowsOnDVD.com posted a new release that says the whole series and a Christmas Special are coming to DVD. Apparently the series will be split between two box sets starting this Fall. Good news, no?

--AP

Two ThingsJune 10 2004

Bubble Bobble Old & New Finally Coming to the USA

While nobody has announced it, the Japanese and UK title for GameBoy Advance, Bubble Bobble Old & New, is coming to the USA from Bay Area Multimedia in early July. While GameStop and EB Games don't have any mention of it, you can preorder it from the likes of Amazon and Wal-Mart for just under $20. The package art is identical to the UK release, except the game is now merely entitled Bubble Bobble and the free link cable from the UK version is not included. (For the curious, ordering the game from the UK, where it has been available for some time, will set you back about $44 before shipping.)

This title contains a fairly close port of the NES game as well as an enhanced mode especially for the GameBoy Advance. The original arcade game had graphics somewhere in between the two versions included on this set. Word has it that the game is quite good from import reviews, so be sure to snag it next month when it hits stores.

Lastly, we have found out the UK version supports multiplayer. As in, all you need is one cart and a couple of GameBoy Advances plus a link cable, and you're good to go.

--AP

TransFormers War Within III Confirmed, Details

The fine folks at Wildfur.net posted the details of the third series in the War Within storyline. This one features Blaster, Quintessons, and Ultra Magnus... to name a few. Sounds interesting.

--AP

And in other news...

A new issue of ToyFare has hit stores and it has an article from yours truly. Possibly. It could be someone else with the same name.

Also, a new issue of PVP came out today, inexplicably not in a delayed fashion. If you read the funny books, go snag issue #7. There's even a brief story about the Star Wars Galaxies MMORPG.

--AP

You Hoochies Better Stay Away from My MeatloafJune 11 2004

Review: Star Wars Spirit Obi-Wan Kenobi (Original Trilogy Collection)

Today at Galactic Hunter we look at another Original Trilogy Collection release, Spirit Obi-Wan Kenobi as he appeared in The Empire Strikes Back, but for some reason, he's armed. He's made from existing parts and new parts, and the end result is striking and fantastic. It's not totally accurate, but it's easily the best Spirit Obi-Wan and one of the best ever Obi-Wan figures to be seen, and you can see more in today's review.

--AP

The next Shrek and the Shrek after next

An article over at ShowBizData.com confirmed the next two Shrek movies, #4 is due in 2009 and no date was given for #3 but 2006 or 2007 seems a good bet. Word on the street is they've already got Puss in Boots set to return, so hey, good times.

--AP

New Metroid edition GameBoy Advance

Club Nintendo, Nintendo Japan's freebie club and fan club for all intents and purposes, is giving away yet another special GameBoy Advance SP to celebrate the best Metroid: Zero Mission players. The system is in red and orange, and if you look under the A&B buttons, there's a little sketch from Samus that you see when you play through the game. (It's a drawing from little Samus, and you can see the image from the game on which it is based here.)

--AP

New TransFormers Q&A

Hasbro updated their Q&A with one very boring question and answer about Alternators and their relation to G1.

--AP

Kids in the Hall Specs, release July 7

An article over at TVShowsOnDVD.com has a lot on the early release for Kids in the Hall season two. Like season one, it'll be available early via The Kids in the Hall Web Site, and should be available in other channels later. For now, you get a t-shirt and it's $59.99. For the record, you could get Season One at Best Buy for roughly $36 when it was originally $59.99 online. Just so you know.

Season Two comes with a lot of extras once again, including more interviews, two episode commentary tracks, 30 more Rivoli Theater performances, posters, and some other stuff. And Paul Bellini.

--AP

The Hobo JungilJune 12 2004

Rotocast Doc Ock from Spider-Man 2

Some interesting new items are showing up at Target stores around town. One is a large rotocast (hollow plastic) Doctor Octopus from Spider-Man 2 for about $10. The sculpt is pretty nice and it appears to be well-jointed. Also available is a two-pack of 12" figures, an unmasked Spidey and a Mary Jane in what looks to be a wedding dress of some sort. The sculpts were passable, and by no means exciting.

--AP

New TransFormers Energon List, Fan-Made "Energy" Cubes

A new list of Energon toys is hitting the web, apparently culled from Wal-Mart's computer system. Grimlock and Swoop no longer appear on it, nor does Kicker, and it's hard to know just what this means as far as these toys are concerned. Although odds are they'll find out during convention season.

TFW2005 posted a blurb with the whole list, and it's not known how complete or final it is. Many items show up in a store's computer never to be released, as anyone that collected Star Wars in 1998 can attest to. Some of the highlights include Sixshot, a repainted Shockblast, as well as Alpha Quintesson, a new gestalt, and a few other great sounding items. If the list is legit, it's certainly interesting.

Also, Unicron.com posted information on "Energy Cubes" which are, obviously, fan-made renditions of Energon Cubes. They look stunning, and it's neat to see American fans trying to do some more aftermarket collectibles. Be sure to check it out.

--AP

GameBoy Advance SP Famicom Edition Wireless Adapter

The Japanese get another cool extra, this time it's a specially colored Wireless Adapter to match the Famicom Edition GameBoy Advance SP. It's free by redeeming some points on the Club Nintendo site... which means nothing to anyone outside of Japan. Some may show up on eBay and we of course will be looking for one. It sounds excellent.

--AP

I Don't Care If It HurtsJune 13 2004

DVDs for Fraggle Rock?

A story over at TVShowsOnDVD.com follows up some interesting rumors on the future of Fraggle Rock on DVD. Nothing concrete, but interesting just the same.

--AP

New Stikfas sans Hasbro

While Hasbro seems to be cranking out numerous new kits for their Xevoz line, the poorly distributed ancestor hasn't seen much action lately. It looks like Hasbro has taken a step back from the line and new releases like sports players will be distributed in North America via SaiZon.com, whatever that is.

--AP

GameBoy Advance SP Donkey Kong Edition

Nintendo added a page for some contest or redemption thing for a DK-edition SP. We don't know, because we don't speak Japanese. It's in banana yellow with brown buttons and a DK logo stamped on the lid, and it's quite striking. Check it out, and scratch your head that there's no Triforce edition yet.

--AP

Godzilla Final Wars Images

Monster Zero News added a page with the Japanese official art for numerous new and old characters to appear in the supposed final Godzilla film. Minilla doesn't look very different, but a lot of the other characters seem to have been revamped. Don't miss this one..

This week's highlights include Tanus Spijek's gender, Fan Club "passes" from exclusive toys, and yes, complaining about multipacks.

--AP

GameBoy Sales

This week's newspaper ads have a few neat deals on games, notable GameCube F-Zero for $15 at Circuit City. Also at the City of Circuits are numerous GameBoy Advance titles like Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 and Mario vs. Donkey Kong for $26.99, which is $3 off. While that might not sound like much, consider that $26.99 is what GameStop and EB Games charge for used copies of these games with no box and no manual.

(Fight the power-- buy new. [On sale.])

--AP

And in other news...

Yet another installment in ".stereotype." was posted, and with Snackobot 3000.

--AP

Inside, OutsideJune 15 2004

Review: Lord of the Rings Master Replicas Sting Sword

Today, we look at an advance sample of Master Replicas' new Sting Sword prop replica. It lights up and makes some neat noises, and it looks like a prop from the film-- and it's not a bad piece. Be sure to check it out in Today's review.

--AP

New Energon & Alternators Packaged Toys

TFW2005 posted shots of upcoming toys, like Dead End from Alternators and Command Ravage and Doom-Lock from Energon.

Not only does this confirm some new names, but it confirms the Energon packaging is already getting a major face lift after having just been released last December. Formerly black, now it's a very G1 red color. The line has also received a new name. Formerly TransFormers Energon, the card now reads TransFormers Energon Robots in Disguise The Powerlinx Battles. That's a mouthful.

--AP

New Simpsons Season 4, Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 2 DVDs Today

Box sets for these two shows are due in stores today. The second season of Curb Your Enthusiasm is looking to be $29.99 at the likes of Best Buy and Circuit City, while Simpsons #4 is a very cheap $29.99 at Best Buy.

Today at Galactic Hunter we look at our first vehicle from the Original Trilogy Collection, the ever-popular X-wing Fighter. It's a revised version of the 1978 and 1995 release with new pre-applied decals and a slightly different decoration, with absolutely no electronics. Does the mold hold up after 26 years? Find out in today's review.

--AP

News on Cybertron and Energon

Word on the street is that Energon Omega Supreme will hit Big Bad Toy Store next week, which is good news indeed. Hopefully he'll start showing up along with the likes of Bulkhead, Shockblast, and Cliffjumper-- which we have yet to see.

Target, Toys "R" Us, and other chains are now getting their Energon toys slapped with stickers promoting the cartoon. It proudly proclaims new episodes are on Cartoon Network... at 6:30 AM.

Some very prelim info on Cybertron has surfaced, and it's from some Hasbro press releases. Basically, it confirms Optimus Prime is in it and Cybertron is threatened-- which odds are you guessed by now. It made mention of some licensed goods, but other things surroundig the plot are unknown.

--AP

Season One of the original Star Trek DVD Specs

The information on this release is over at TVShowsOnDVD.com, and there's a lot to it. For $100, there should be. 29 episodes, text commentaries, and lots of other featurettes and other goodies await those who purchase the set, and hopefully the price will be cheaper at Best Buy when it comes out.

--AP

New Adult Swim DVD Info

TVShowsOnDVD.com has news about future Space Ghost, Aqua Teen Hungerforce, Harvey Birdman, and many, many other Adult Swim releases. Check out the story for more.

--AP

Return of the Waco KidJune 17 2004

New PSX Announced from Sony

Looks like Sony is revising their PSX video game system/set top box, and we've found some stories about it at GameForms and GameSpot. The big improvement is that these have out-of-the-box DVD-RW support, which is nice. No word on a US release.

--AP

Palisades to do Block Figures of X-Files

Palisades is releasing PALz, their new block figures, and it looks like X-Files are on tap so says Action-Figure.com. The article lists characters, accessories, and even includes a concept rendering of Mulder and Scully.

The article also lists Buffy the Vampire Slayer PALz and says they're selling well, but we should note we've never seen them ourselves.

--AP

DVDFile.com reviews Blazing Saddles 30th Anniversary DVD

While it comes to stores on June 29, you can read a review at DVDFile.com right now. This has the same 55-minute "commentary" as the first release, but adds tons of new features, not the least of which is the mostly unseen TV pilot for the series Black Bart that, reportedly, sucks. Deleted scenes, a featurette, and much more are available as well so do check out this review of one of Mel's two finest.

--AP

And in other news...

The new and pretty nifty Elvis Presley from McFarlane toys hit Sam Goody, Suncoast, and other similar stores this week for about $15. It's from his famous comeback special, and it's quite well done. Fans of the King should definitely check it out, perhaps even buy one.

--AP

I'm What's Good for AmericaJune 18 2004

Review: Star Wars Admiral Ozzel

Today at Galactic Hunter we look at the Imperial officer that is as clumsy as he is stupid, Admiral Ozzel. (Or am I thinking of Captain Needa? Either way.) He's a guy who... chokes under pressure. And he's got an all-new sculpt. Or does he? Find out in today's review.

--AP

Toshiba Joins GameBoy Advance Video with Lots of Pokemon

A report at GameForms mentions that the electronics giant is looking to publish a whopping 500 Pokemon movies on the new GameBoy Advance Media Player format. You can read that story to find out more, or just be glad you won't be buying 500 Pokemon shorts.

--AP

New Astro-Boy Figures at Toys "R" Us

BanDai has released a new series of Astro-Boy figures based on the anime series. These have interesting designs, but low production values will probably turn you off of these. Stick with the Medicom versions if you can find them at finer import shops and in the Bay of E.

--AP

If You Can Dodge a Wrench...June 19 2004

Nintendo Holds NES Poll

Assuming you aren't one of the reds, odds are you love videogames. Nintendo is holding a poll on their main page right now to ask you, the consumer, which classic NES games you'd like to see ported to the GameBoy Advance. While a number of items are highlighted and most likely already on the way (as some items on the voting are already available), there are drop-down boxes in the poll from which you can select any NES game. So, lovers of DuckTales, CastleVania II: Simon's Quest, and Startropics, we suggest you go vote post-haste.

--AP

New Superlink Super Modes

While no images have surfaced, a number of Web sites are reporting TransFormers Superlink repaints of Inferno, Nightscream (Starscream), Inferno, Hot Shot, Galvatron (Megatron), Roadbuster (Ironhide), and Skyline (Jetfire.) Hot Shot, Megatron, and Ironhide are expected in the USA and the others are currently unknown.

Also, word on the street is that Energon Omega Supreme is hitting Wal-Marts. We'll keep you posted. It is still said that Shockblast, Bulkhead, and Cliffjumper are available but we have yet to see them, either, and new reports (and samples on eBay) are presently scarce.

--AP

Tim Burton Batman Kubricks

Figures based on Batman and Batman Returns are being shown at Kubrick World Database. Included are the Penguin, the Joker, Catwoman, Batman, and a Penguin Commando. (Awwww.)

--AP

And in other news...

The new Ben Stiller vehicle Dodgeball manages to do something truly profound, which is to say, it's funny. Numerous cameos from tons of people, a pirate, lots of cartoonish violence, and a performance from Stiller with the kind of gusto you never would expect in a comedy like this, there's a lot to like. It's stupid but great. Check it out.

--AP

BotCon: The EndJune 20 2004

Discounted GBA Games at Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart stores have bumped down the prices of numerous games this weekend, but not at all locations. Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, Mario vs. Donkey Kong and several others are down about $4 off, better than the $3 off at Circuit City last weekend. Check your local stores for the latest.

--AP

New Simpsons DVDs

The fine folks at TVShowsOnDVD.com have the cover art for the next release, and it's a best-of collection. The contents of The Simpsons Gone Wild are presently unknown, but obviously it won't be a feature-laden box set with lavish packaging.

--AP

New Botcon Info

The final time the event is to be held appears to be a good one, and a lot of reports around the Web are making it sound like a pretty good time. A breakfast exclusive, a repaint of the Action Masters toy Breakdown, is already going for over $300. You can read about it at TFW2005 or see the auction on eBay.

Also, Energon fans sans Wal-Marts will be happy to hear Target stores are getting in new stock, and we've sighted Arcee, Insecticon, and Megatron at the chain all within the past month.

--AP

Giant 30-inch Spider-Man Action Figure

Tonight, we spotted what may be the largest action figure on the market today at a Phoenix area Wal-Mart. While there was only one left, it was quite impressive. This 30-inch Spider-Man figure was a super-huge rotocast figure and sells for $29.96. We have not seen these at other stores yet, nor do we know if they are exclusives. Or, for that matter, if there's a companion Doc Ock. Keep your eyes open for the latest.

--AP

Art Asylum's Lord of the Rings Minimates at Toys "R" Us

Toys "R" Us stores are getting a $9.99 three-pack of these figures, although "three-pack" is misleading as each of the two sets include a bonus fourth mystery figure. While we did not take close note of which figures were in each set, Saruman, Gandalf the White, Frodo, Gollum, Legolas, and Aragorn. These were particularly surprising as most stores are soliciting or preselling two-packs, not these window boxed three-packs.

This week's highlights include IG-88's weapons, the future of the Cantina, and yes, we even have a surprise for you-- Hasbro wrote in and told me some stuff. So read on, this is good.

--AP

Exclusive Convention Gollum (Smeagol, whatever) Bust

Kudos to Sideshow on some great exclusives and an even better method of distribution. Instead of making you wait in lines, Sideshow came up with the frankly brilliant idea that I know we've rambled about in the past-- preselling the exclusives. That's right-- you order them online BEFORE you go to the show, so one will be there waiting for you. Gollum can be found here, and he's limited to 6,000 pieces-- not a small run by any stretch of the imagination. The page shows images of the opened statue and of the packaging, and it will be a fairly reasonable $55. It may well be our favorite rendition of Smeagollum yet.

Also being sold this way are two Hellboy exclusives (a Nazi Kroenen 12" figure and a 1/4 scale Samaritan) and Vampire Angel from... Angel.

Since we love to editorialize, we'd like to congratulate Sideshow on this marvelous distribution system and encourage Gentle Giant, Hasbro, Mattel, and everybody else to consider it as well. If nothing else, it should help determine edition sizes for future exclusives, and frankly, anything that gives we fans more time to look your booth over for the other stuff we'll be buying from you is welcome.

--AP

MORE GameBoy Sales

With some neat new titles being released this week, there's some good deals. Target has select recent first-party GameBoy Advance titles to $27.88, but Best Buy and Circuit City have marked down Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, Mario vs. Donkey Kong, and Mario Golf Advance Tour to $24.99. If you purchase the titles at Circuit City, you also get a free SP carry case-- a nice touch, surely.

The final Botcon (once a semi-official con, now an unofficial con) seems to be getting a lot of press. You can see a slick photo gallery over at Ben's World of TransFormers, TFW2005 has a decent report of the goings-on and lots of G1 tidbits on how the line was formed, and well, keep surfing around for more.

And for all you Energon junkies, TFormers.com has a report from some guy's uncle stating that Kicker will be released for $6.49. As Wal-Mart does not charge and has never charged $6.49 for the basics (as far as we can tell), and previous reports state that this figure was on deluxe listings, we would not yet put a lot of value in this.

One last Energon tidbit, the Japanese exclusive smaller sized SuperLink Galvatron and Convoy are showing up in US packaging at this auction. Rumor has it this set will be a Toys "R" Us exclusive and run about $39.99-$49.99. For the record, Convoy is the same size as our $9.99 Deluxe toys, and Galvatron is comparable to our $24.99-$29.99 toys like Scorponok or Landmine. From the small images, it appears these will be identical in color to their Japanese counterparts.

For you G1 fans, an auction has started for Ricochet, better known as Stepper in Japan, and better known to you and me as a repainted Targetmaster Jazz. This is the first known look at the packaged toy.

--AP

And in other news...

Yet another installment in ".stereotype." was posted, and it has the Burrito Comedian.

We would also like to reiterate that we have not seen another sample of the 30" Toy Biz rotocast Spider-Man as of yet after having made the first sighting late Saturday night. (We checked three additional Wal-Marts thus far.)

It seems Dodgeball came in at roughly $30 million, so says the Box Office Mojo. The Terminal came in at #2, kinda low-key by Spielberg standards, with Harry Potter, Shrek 2, and (ugh) Garfield rounding out the top five.

--AP

Vice President Hunter ThompsonJune 22 2004

New Larry Sanders DVDs?

The fine folks at TVShowsOnDVD.com are reporting that Columbia TriStar is re-examining the title, it seems, and are asking about fan favorite episodes. Here's hoping they revisit their season box sets and don't do a best-of compilation, as this fine show really deserves to be seen in its entirety at a fair price, like every HBO show except for this one.

--AP

New TransFormers News Bonanza

Today's news round-up starts at eBay, where you can find the first packaged shots of Slugslinger right here.

The folks at Comix-Fan.com posted an interview with the creative team behind the new Micromasters comic. It's shaping up to be an interesting title, and the interview says much about how they determine how long a series should be, and more.

Numerous reports are stating that the new Alternators Silverstreak toy comes in two configurations with the steering wheel on the USA driver's side or the UK driver's side. Neither is known to be rarer and at this time, we have yet to find either in stores.

The final volume of the Invader Zim series is supposedly on the way for the holidays, and will include the holiday episode, so says a report on TVShowsOnDVD.com.

--AP

And in other news...

A great story on the Kerry campaign trail came up and we felt obligated to share. While on a fundraising trip to Aspen, Kerry met up with its most important resident. Here's a quote from an article:br>
"Just to put your minds all at ease, I have four words for you that I know will relieve you greatly," Kerry told the fund-raiser. "How does this sound ‹ Vice President Hunter Thompson."

Today at Galactic Hunter we the (so far) final bounty hunter for the year, Dengar. He has a brand new sculpt with a lot of detail, a lot of articulation, and a nice backpack. In other words, he's everything the 1997 version wasn't. He may look like a mummy at first, but you can get a much better look at why this is a great figure in today's review.

--AP

New TransFormers Beast Machines Rumors

An interesting (and from our sources, false) rumor is floating around that Fox Video is releasing Beast Machines to DVD. Apparently an entry that no longer exists at Amazon Canada was the result. While we do not have the latest info, Rhino Home Video did inform us at San Diego Comic Con 2003 that they held the license to Beast Machines and would release it after they finish Beast Wars which, you have undoubtedly noticed, has yet to be completed. Because of all of this information, it's more than a safe bet that this link was an accident, much like the frequent listings of the original Star Wars films on DVD over the years before the recent announcement.

--AP

New LEGO Catalog with Bionicle 2 Images

While there appear to be no toy images, you can see shots from the new movie over at BZPower courtesy of a German LEGO catalog.

--AP

The Communist Airbone Mollusk MilitiaJune 24 2004

Xevoz at Wal-Mart, Scorpion with Sombrero

Hasbro's Xevoz line is hitting Wal-Mart stores, which means there are at least three mass markets you can find them at. We saw mass quantities of existing figures as well as some new ones today, including some electrical man and a scorpion with a giant sombrero. The latter of which we'll be buying shortly. For the record, these were the Shock Berzerker and the Dune Stinger, so remember, when you want a sombrero, get the Dune Stinger.

An image is floating around the Web from Previews of the upcoming Tracks toy, but in blue. As a blue Tracks has not previously been seen or confirmed, this is a real surprise and it isn't known if it's an exclusive, a variant, or just an error.

Speaking of exclusives, the creative team behind the Botcon Breakdown exclusive figure put up a great site explaining how they did it. It's a great read.

--AP

Batman, Catwoman, Batgirl to become Microman Toys

Action-Figure.com has some great pictures of these upcoming marvels from Takara. Batman and Batgirl seem to be the same Batman released before with a new Batgirl, and Catwoman seems all new. Bother are available at Action-HQ, Catwoman is $13.95 and the two-pack of Bats is $24.95. It is assumed other online stores will offer these as well.

--AP

ALIEN and PREDATOR Toys Hit

While not quite Aliens vs. Predator, McFarlane's new toys based on ALIEN, ALIENS, Predator, and Predator 2 hit stores this week. Four creatures are available and are showing up at Kay-Bee, Sam Goody, and Suncoast stores for about $11.99 each.

--AP

More New Old Zoids

The clearance of the Zoids seems to continue with more random sightings of new old items. Kay-Bee toy stores are getting the large Gojulas Giga kit for $17.99, while Toys "R" Us continues to get more of the action figures, like Berserk Fury, on the cheap. If you're still looking for the older items, Kay-Bee and Toys "R" Us seem to be getting a nice steady supply of different product.

--AP

Costa Mesa Hates MeJune 25 2004

M.A.S.K. Rereleased for the PC

A UK-based magazine entitled Retro Gamer, which is showing up in Tower Records in the USA, has a big disc packed with it full of old PC games, including one based on the old Kenner toyline M.A.S.K. which we found most interesting. Flipping through the magazine, there's some really nifty content as well as a good chunk of games, so be sure to look through it if you see it. It's about $10.99.

Energon fans can find a lot to like at the 2005 boards as well, namely packaged shots of Powerlinx Optmus Prime vs. Megatron, Demolishor, Cyclonus, and Starscream vs. Prowl. Starscream and Prowl are repaints of Armada Starscream and Red Alert and look more at home in Universe, and are in the Armada style curved packaging in robot mode. Cyclonus and Demolishor are also Armada repaints, and you've seen the Optimus and Megatron from Japan before. Optimus seems similar to the Japanese release right down to the chrome grille.

Lastly, Hasbro posted a confirmation that the two-pack of the Energon leaders in their smaller Japanese sizes are, in fact, Toys "R" Us exclusives as reported previously.

--AP

Jim Henson's Greek Myths DVD

Fans of the Storyteller, you're in for a treat come September 7. TVShowsOnDVD.com is reporting that 120-minutes of Hellenic fun will be coming soon, with no other information yet available.

--AP

Lord of the Rings Armies Clearance

While the line is still going strong, Target stores have marked down select items, including their two $24.99 playsets. (One of Isengard, another of the Balrog confrontation.) They're about $19 now, and more drops are expected if you can wait. And that's up to you.

--AP

And in other news...

Michael Moore's documentary, leftist infomercial, or filme-- depending on what your point of view is-- hits theaters nationwide today. Farenheit 9/11 has been doing ridiculously well in New York City, and while that probably won't translate to greater America, it is certainly interesting to note. If you see it, or if you don't, odds are it'll make a nice big impact on the news and you should know about it.

Or you could go see White Chicks.

--AP

The Left at 24 FPSJune 26 2004

Newsradio Commentaries Recorded

Word has it from Jimmy James himself that the commentaries were recorded. The scoop appears as part of a radio interview snippet transcribed at TVShowsOnDVD.com.

Also, if you have any interest in the "why" or the "how" of DVD extras and licensing, you should check this post a the Allspark message boards. Someone spoke to Rhino on numerous TV series, and some of the tidbits at the end of the first post really help illustrate why some things just don't happen on a TV DVD.

--AP

New TransFormers DVD Info

As reported earlier this week, Beast Machines is held by Rhino for US DVD release-- and you can read it for yourself over at the Allspark. The site also has word on why Rhino isn't releasing Robots in Disguise, and what DVDs from Hasbro-owned properties may be seen in the future, like more Beast shows, G.I. Joe, Visionaries, and more.

--AP

Rakshi Bionicle Clearance

With the new villains of Metru-Nui hitting stores, Toys "R" Us has marked down the Rakshi to just under five bucks a hit. These nicely posable toys are well worth that price, and if you'd like to know more about them please read this review of Vorahk, the black Rakshi, from October of last year.

--AP

And in other news...

We saw Farenheit 9/11 last night and it seemed Moore wasn't too interested in being on-camera. While the final act was a little slower and not as funny, the movie was good about showing Moore's politics and for the most part, showing you the best Bush moments over the past four years. As propoganda, it was OK, but as a kind of Daily Show highlight reel it was most excellent. Like Bush-isms? This is for you. Odds are it won't change your politics, but it will make you think about them, a tough feat given that most indie voters are supposedly just using the term to make themselves feel more open to new concepts despite having their minds made up.

While the flick did not seem to be sold out here, the same could not be said for White Chicks.

--AP

Paris Hilton in Dungeons & Dragons Sequel?June 27 2004

New TransFormers Energon Prototypes

You heard the rumors, now see the prototypes. While some of these are mistransformed, it does appear that Grimlock and Swoop are here, assuming Hasbro has decided to keep the names. As such, rumor has it these will be shown in a more complete form at this year's official TransFormers convention in Chicago. But you've read enough-- click here to see the pictures at TFClub. In addition to the T-Rex and aerial dinosaur, there are also two jets, a helicopter, and what appear to be a couple of mistransformed vehicles.

Early rumors had it that Grimlock and Swoop may have been part of another line, and for all we know these aren't the final names. From the images, it's hard to tell if this will be cool or not, but we're hoping they will be. While there were obvious Energon style spark crystals on several of the prototypes, if they're on the dinosaurs, they weren't immediately visible. Who knows if these are destined for Universe or not... or something else entirely. It doesn't seem likely that these are Cybertron toys by virtue of the fact last time around, Hasbro showed off the very first Energon toys at the convention. Of course, our first glimpse of Beast Machines came from unpainted samples, so who knows. Energon seems the safest bet as the home for these, though.

--AP

And in other news...

Movie news site Dark Horizons is reporting, true or not, that hotel heiress/budding future center square Paris Hilton is set to star in the sequel to one of the worst fantasy movies ever, Dungeons & Dragons. Apparently having Thora Birch not act in a movie wasn't enough for the movie, which made just under $15 million. It cost $35 million, which, really, wasn't too shabby. While this is the first we've heard of a sequel, who knows-- maybe the DVD sold well enough to justify another twelve bucks to do another one.

This week's highlights include the New Jedi Order as toys, smoking toys, advancements in technology, and yes, more on Clone Wars.

--AP

The Future of Pixels

An article from The Rocky Mountain News covers something we've known for a while, that retro games are big again. The article has some interesting facts you might now know if you aren't hardcore into this, as well as some errors you might find amusing. As such, we say you should read it.

--AP

Nanu Nanu

Mork from Ork is not Mork from DVD. TVShowsOnDVD.com has the cover art for the first season box set coming later this year. Mork's rainbow suspenders and triangle most likely would not raise the same questions from viewers in 2004 as they may have in 1978.

--AP

And in other news...

Farenheit 9/11 did ridiculous business, coming in at #1 and topping $22 million and in a few days, overtaking Michael Moore's last flick Bowling for Columbine and becoming the top-moneymaking documentary of all time... most likely in adjusted dollars as well. Congrats for finding untapped money in the genre, and here's hoping it might revive a fairly limp kind of theatrical filmmaking. As always, you can read more at The Box Office Mojo.

White Chicks didn't do as well, but did OK, and Dodgeball and Shrek 2 continue to do well-- very well in the case of the big green ogre, who's almost at a whopping $400 million.

--AP

How Come You Don't Dance No Mo'?June 29 2004

Spider-Man 2.5 DVD Confirmed

Even though the movie hasn't opened yet, Sam Raimi confirms a 2.5 DVD is in the works. Based on his quote at this link it would seem that the studio is planning on a standard release in addition to a special edition later, which seems to be the business model of the studios these days.

--AP

Buy Pizza, Get Bullwinkle

Papa Johns is jumping on the free TV DVD bandwagon. TVShowsOnDVD.com is reporting they're giving away a free three-episode sampler disc of Rocky & Bullwinkle with the purchase of a large pizza at regular menu price, which is something like $10 depending on what you want as a topping.

For the record, you can get the complete first or second season on DVD for as little as $23.93 shipped online... but if you want dinner and a movie, this isn't a bad way to go. Other free DVDs available through Papa Johns include Durango Kids and Weekend at Bernie's II.

--AP

New 4" G.I. Joe Three-Packs

Yesterday at Target, we spotted two new three-packs, packed like previous value packs except these had a reprint of an old Marvel comic. The Cobra set has a Cobra, a Cobra Commander, and a Baronness, all with what seem to be new heads. The Joe set had Snake-eyes and two others who I forgot. They sell for $10 each and it is not known if they will be exclusives.

--AP

Japanese DVD Godzilla Perfect Collection

A giant, limited edition box set of every Toho Godzilla film is coming to Japan, and you can see the original Japanese page for it right here. The good news is that it has 27 flicks in a giant box, a book, a music CD, and some bonus discs. The bad news is that it's Japan only and just a hair shy of $1,000, so you can pretty much forget about it.

--AP

The Dinobots Story You Never Thought You'd See

It seems one of the overseas releases of TransFormers Generation One includes a free comic available nowhere else-- except online, in its entirety, right here. The story features the Dinobots suddenly combining... and it's just as odd and unnecessary as you might hope it to be.

--AP

And in other news...

Every now and again we get requests asking if the items presented here are available for sale. They are-- try eBay, people sell this stuff all the time. At some point in the future 16bit.com may add a "trading post" or "store" type link, but for now, everything you see here is for informational purposes only and is part of our collection. And we take the collection seriously, so thank you kindly for not asking us to sell you rare toys cheap.

--AP

Yes I CanJune 30 2004

Review: Star Wars Cloud Car Pilot

Today at Galactic Hunter we review a remake of an oft-overlooked figures from the vintage line, the Cloud Car Pilot. In 1982, he wowed fands with bright colors and two accessories, which was unheard of for any figure that wasn't Luke... unless you counted a cape as an accessory. This new version updates those accessories and ads holsters, a removable helmet, and loads of articulation. In today's review, you can read all about the figure that has everything... except a Cloud Car which he could pilot.

Someone out there finally gets it. A recolored and remolded Inferno (dubbed "Grapple" by some fan sites) has showed up on TFW2005. Aside from being recolored, the toy has a new head and a new weapon component, the "fire hose" type thing is now a grappling hook with an added cockpit. I'm sold.

While Target stores reduced and cleared out their Armada stock months ago, with Unicrons as low as $10, two stores in the Phoenix area have suddenly received more. One location has one, another received an entire endcap. The toys are a super-cheap $19.99 each, which is bargain basement pricing for a really nice big toy. If you missed it, snag it. If you have no Target in your area, try Kay-Bee, as many locations carry Unicron for about $24.99.

--AP

Select Armies of Middle-Earth 50% Off

We reported Target had marked down some Armies of Middle-Earth sets earlier, namely the big set with the Balrog and the nice awesome Isengard set. Formerly $24.99, now they're half price at some Target stores and 25% off at others. We also noticed one store seems to have put out at least 2 cases more of the product since our last visit, meaning there could be some great deals down the clearance pipeline.

--AP

Great Kids in the Hall Interview (Part 1)

Part one of a two-part interview with The Kids in the Hall was posted to the non-satirical section of the nation's finest news source. Be sure to check out the interview at The Onion A.V. Club if you have any interest on how a comedy team works, or rather, "works."

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